Coachman Laser 845 Xtra

Coachman, king of the L-shaped lounge, has introduced a new layout element to its Laser 845 for 2025. It’s a very cleverly designed media wall.

Coachman’s high-spec Laser range of six models – the largest range in its portfolio – is now re-branded Xtra, taking over from the Xcel designation of previous years. All are eight feet wide. And three of the six models have L-shaped lounge seating.

L-shaped lounges work especially well in eight-foot-wide caravans. They work well in standard-width caravans, too – but the extra width means even more seating space and floor space.

Coachman provides the market with eight L-shaped lounge models. Two are in its Acadia range. All three models in its super-luxury Lusso range have L-shaped lounges. That’s in addition to the three in the Laser Xtra range. Coachman has more L-shaped lounges than any other British manufacturer. And now, for 2025, the 845’s layout has a major change to its lounge layout. Instead of a nearside window, there is a television wall – and its design is very clever. Two shelves run behind your television, which means items placed here would be completely hidden by the television. So this is a lounge designed in the interest of tidiness. It’s simple. It’s clever – and we love it.

The 845 Xtra’s bed is at the rear, with the shower room in the central area. In layout terms, it’s a stretched version of the equally popular single-axle 545 Xtra; the 845 is 7.89m in total length, and on two axles.

We’d visited the Coachman factory just after this model had emerged from the production line in the summer, and got a brief look at the new 845. Now, though, we got chance to spend more quality time in its company, at Campbells Caravans in Lancashire.

Before we take you inside this luxurious twin-axle tourer, the storage system for the mundane gas bottles and toilet chemicals is worthy of comment. Coachman’s system is unique: two lockers, one on each side at the front – that’s one for the gas cylinders and a separate one for toilet chemicals and other necessities such as awning pegs. This dual locker storage system means that small items can’t disappear behind gas cylinders on tow, and you can have a proper, efficient filing system for caravanning’s boring paraphernalia. Very practical.

Practicality mixes with elegance and luxurious looks inside the 845. Top of our list on practicality is the kitchen, with a generous amount of surface space;  from the edge of the hob and including the hinged extension, the L-shaped surface configuration has a width of 1.11m. Because of the L-shape, the surface measures 85cm at its deepest point. The kitchen gets an ample share of Laser refinement, in the form of the Corian-style worktop, the cast iron pan trivet, and the lighting set into recesses between the three drawers. Our analysis swings back to practicality as we discover the flexible-hose tap, and explore the amount of storage space. The drawers are 42cm wide and the cabinet set into the L-shaped section is 33cm wide. It contains three shelves, each 23cm wide and 68cm deep, that pull out on a runner. There’s an extractor fan set into the cabinetry directly above the hob. A cabinet opposite, 36cm wide and containing two shelves, 28cm wide, plus the housing for the table. The surface of this dresser-style unit – useful to augment kitchen space – measures 41cm by 67cm. There’s a locker above the dresser, too – and the fridge/freezer is Thetford’s largest, with a capacity of 159 litres. The top cabinet above the kitchen is 78 cm wide. So it all adds up to  good storage capacity.

There’s a definite air of domestic-style luxury about the washing zone. The shower cubicle has a full-height panel finished in rock effect. A pull out hook for three towels plus step shelves for shampoos. 

The washbasin-toilet ‘room’ has plenty of floorspace, and plenty of shelving, too. And it has two mirrors, one on the door and one above the washbasin. This one has light strips both above and below it. The same rock-effect finish as the panel in the shower cubicle forms the basin splashback. And there’s a towel warmer, part of the Alde heating system. 

The bedroom amply ticks the box marked luxury, too. There’s an upholstered and studded bedhead that runs all of the way up to the over-bed lockers, neat Roman-style blinds and a floor-level spotlight with individual switch control on the bed base. 

Of the elements of the lounge that constitute Laser-level refinement, two stand out. One is the backrests that are higher than in most caravans. The other is that Lasers have six cushions. For the 2025 model year, these are in a mix of tactile fabrics and patterns, all in a rich pale gold shade. 

The 845 comes complete with a Whale watermaster connection for a tap on a pitch; a 40-litre onboard water tank, and all the kit you’d expect at this level including an alarm system with tilt sensor, Al-Ko Secure wheel locks, and the Alde Load Limiter that switches off the heating system when you switch on a high-powered device, such as the microwave, to prevent you from tripping out the pitch’s electricity supply. There’s also a wireless charging unit in the lounge, six USB sockets and one USB-C port by the dresser. 

It’s a staggering 25 years since the first Laser appeared. Always among the industry leaders in terms of high specification and, until the arrival of Coachman’s ultra-luxurious Lusso range, enjoying flagship status, Laser is an aspirational marque. 

The 845 is a fine example of why this range continues to enjoy sales success 25 years on. A fabulously large kitchen surface, a big fridge/freezer, and a separate bedroom; its layout is superb. And the media wall with hide-away shelves that’s new for 2025? That’s a gem of a design. We love it